


Molecule by Molecule

by Mochas N Mayhem (KoohiiCafe)



Series: Universal Differentials [2]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Trek, Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-09
Updated: 2012-08-09
Packaged: 2017-11-12 06:17:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/487657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KoohiiCafe/pseuds/Mochas%20N%20Mayhem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first time she went through the transporter, Willow hadn't been prepared for exactly what the act of 'beaming' entailed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Molecule by Molecule

**Author's Note:**

> **Title:** Molecule by Molecule  
>  **Author:** Koohii Cafe  
>  **Rating:** General Audiences  
>  **Crossover:** BtVS/Star Trek  
>  **Disclaimer:** Since I am a poor chickadee with no wealth to speak of, I think it's safe to say that neither BtVS nor Star Trek are mine. ^^;  
>  **Written for:** [TtH](http://www.tthfanfic.org/) [August Fic A Day Challenge](http://twistedshorts.livejournal.com/438159.html)  
>  **Summary:** _The first time she went through the transporter, Willow hadn't been prepared for exactly what the act of 'beaming' entailed._  
>  **Author's Note:** I'm currently traveling with my family and I am typing this on my mother's iPad. I apologize for any typing errors and promise to come back and do some cleanup once I have a bonafide computer again. ^^;

The first time she went through the transporter, Willow hadn't been prepared for exactly what the act of 'beaming' entailed; she'd been waiting for some kind of transport craft to pick them up from their ship and take them to the much larger ship belonging to their rescuers. What she _hadn't_ expected was for her body to be pulled apart molecule by molecule and downloaded to the other ship through some crazy kind of technological means. And she _definitely_ hadn't been very happy about it once they'd appeared on the other ship. In fact, she'd had a minor freak out about it, Willow style of course, which meant 'freaking out' involved more frantic breathless rambling and waving of hands in the air than anything else.

Buffy and the others, of course, hadn't quite understood the reason for her panic. After all, Willow teleported all around the globe with the use of her magic, all the time, so what did it matter if she was being 'transported' through technology rather than magic? Xander had even gone so far as to remind her that she _was_ the most tech-savvy of all the Scoobies, but it hadn't really helped. It wasn't about being the one who knew the most about technology, or even being the one most comfortable with using technology, it was about _having her body pulled apart molecule by molecule and downloaded to another ship_. And it wasn't _her_ controlling the pulling apart and re-assembly of her molecules.

Dawn had kind of understood, since she was just starting to dabble in magic herself- with _very_ careful supervision, as no one wanted a repeat of Willow's issues with magic- and Giles wasn't all the comfortable with the process either. But, surprisingly, it was someone among their rescuers who most sympathized.

"You'd think that people would have better sense then to 'beam' their molecules willy nilly all over the galaxy, but technology makes people stupid. They think it makes them indestructible sometimes, makes 'em lose all common sense," the doctor grumbled, his lips curling up in distaste around his good old boy southern drawl. It was kind of amusing to hear such a familiar accent- if an accent she'd only really heard on TV and movies could count as familiar- even several hundred years in the future and in a different dimension, and it made her like the older man even more.

"I can't believe it's so common here!" the redhead answered, her tone only slightly distressed. "I mean, how do you know that you're getting everything back? Or that everything you're getting back is actually _yours_? If- if you transport with a lot of people, what if things get mixed up? And then you end up with some kind of freaky crazy Frankenstein mix up where you're part you and part someone else!"

Dr. McCoy arched an eyebrow at her, but he seemed to take her worries in stride. "I don't trust it, myself. I'll take a shuttle over the transporter any day; at least if something happens to me on the shuttle, I'll go out as myself."

"Can you do that a lot, or is everyone all- 'let's beam over' for everything?"

"The latter," he replied, cracking a bit of a smile at her commentary. "But it's nice to know that there _is_ someone else out there with a good enough head on their shoulders to see how crazy things can be, young lady"

"What Dr. McCoy has failed to inform you of, Miss Rosenberg," a second voice interrupted smoothly, and both Willow and the doctor turned to find the ship's first officer standing beside them, "are the multitude of safety evaluations that beaming technology has undergone, and the strict regulations that are in place to guarantee that no harm will come to those that utilize the transporter." McCoy scowled up at the other man- if that was the right term for the pointy eared, green tinged alien who held the position of second in command- as if Spock had personally insulted him.

" _What_ safety evaluations, Spock? I'll have you know that I've read some of those reports top to bottom, and I am _not_ fully satisfied in the results. There's still more questions than answers regarding the transportation process, as far as I'm concerned, so if I want to encourage this young woman to look into her concerns and make up her own mind, I damn well will."

"Then please do." One black eyebrow raised coolly in response to the doctor's umbrage, and if Willow hadn't already been told that his species was incapable of emotion, she would have sworn that the corner of his lips quirked up in almost a smile. "I merely ask that you do not- 'fill up her head' with your own personal beliefs without also providing to her complete information on the subject."

"I wouldn't even dream of it, you pointy eared m-"

"I- promise I'll look into it," Willow interrupted hastily. She would have been lying if she'd said that it didn't look like the fight would have been funny, but she didn't want the Scoobies first impression on their rescuers to be that they were troublemakers. It was probably better _not_ to drive a wedge between the first officer and chief medical officer.

"If you have an questions on the issue, Miss Rosenberg," Spock offered with a polite tilt of his head. Willow offered a meager smile in return, and then the alien was moving towards another small cluster of people at the other end of the dining area. Dr. McCoy glared a hole through Spock's back the entire way.

"So..." she started off, hoping to break the ice again. "What about those shuttle craft?"

With a frown, a huff, and a sigh, the doctor began explaining the merits of shuttle craft, slowly warming up once more. It really was nice to not be the only one worried about the while transportation thing, Willow reflected as she listened. Although maybe next time she'd let McCoy and Spock keep going. Just to shake it up a bit.


End file.
